Diamonds Are Forever
by kickasswicca
Summary: my first HHr angst fic. enjoy! [after a VERY long wait, chapter 3 -- the end-- is up!]
1. The Promise Ring

Diamonds Are Forever

[ Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Period.]

The rain fell hard on the windows, making her hand vibrate from where it touched the clear pane. It had been seven years, and here she was the day of her Hogwarts graduation, trying not to put her graduation robe on. Hermione stared out the girls' dormitory window at the Quidditch field. It seemed like yesterday that she saw her first Quidditch match. She closed her eyes, remembering the sights and smells. Harry had been Seeker then. She saw his cool emerald eyes and his scar and his shaggy black hair. She would never forget that day in the Owlery in their sixth year…

~*~

"Hermione, pass me that letter," Harry said over his shoulder as he pulled a package off his owl Hedwig's leg.

Hermione glared at him."Harry Potter! You know that we're not supposed to be up here at night! We could get in trouble, you know. We don't need any more points taken from us. Snape…" 

"Snape is asleep. I made sure of it."

"Harry, what the bloody hell did you do to him?!?"

"Nothing, Herm. That is, nothing illegal." He gave her an impish grin, his eyes dancing. 

Damn it, Hermione thought, I always forgive him when he looks like that. She shook the feeling of wanting to jump on him and seduce him that came over her and tried to appear pissed. "What was so bloody important that you dragged me out of bed right before our big Potions test?" Hermione stamped her foot on the ground, trying to get Harry's attention as he bent down to unwrap the package. "Harry! Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?"

Harry turned to her, getting up and looking at her in the dim light of the Owlery. He handed her a package. She looked down at the brown paper wrapped package and started to open the string around it. "No! Don't open it now. Open it on graduation," he said quietly, halting her hands with his. The touch of his hands on hers sent a shiver down her back. Don't look at him, she warned herself silently. However, her head moved involuntarily and she lifted her head up right and ended up looking straight into his eyes.

Bad move. Hermione felt a shock go right through her. Her heart told her to take a leap, but her mind argued and weighed the pros and cons. Before she had a chance to decide, Harry's face moved the crucial millimeters and his lips touched hers gently.

Every emotion she had kept bottled up rushed out of her, lifting a huge weight off her shoulders. They broke apart, and Hermione's eyes remained shut. She smiled and she said quietly, "I've been waiting six years for you to do that."

Harry pulled her to him. "So have I," he whispered in her ear, "so have I."

~*~

Hermione wiped her eyes with her sleeve. The rain coming down echoed the tears flowing down her face. Harry and her had had a wonderful year together, walking to classes and being the cutest (and admittedly the most nauseating) couple in Hogwarts. Those were the happiest days of her life. Nothing during that time prepared her for the news she received the summer before her seventh year.

~*~

            Hermione was seated on her bed, reading a text she had borrowed from Dumbledore when the letter came. A snowy white owl tapped at her window. "Hedwig!" she cried happily. She brought the book with her and opened her bay window and put the book down. Hedwig perched on her windowseat, next to Dumbledore's book. The small owl looked at her solemnly and held his leg out for her to take off the letter that someone had affixed to him. She took it off eagerly, but the words she read chilled her to the bone.

Dear Hermione,

I'm sorry to be writing now, for what I'm about to say will hurt you immensely.

It hurts me now to write it, but I cannot let you come to school and not know.

Hermione, dear, Harry had insisted on working with the Order of the Phoenix this summer so we really couldn't refuse him. Harry was killed in action. Lucius Malfoy had snuck up on him when Harry was writing a letter to you. Harry didn't even know what hit him. I've sent you the letter he wrote. I'm so sorry for your loss. Feel free to come to the Burrow and see us. 

Love always,

Mrs. Weasley

            Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes and put Mrs. Weasley's letter down. She picked up Harry's letter. She wasn't even sure she wanted to see it, but she felt she had to. She blinked tears away as she started to read:

Dearest Hermione,

I'm sitting in my room now, missing you more than ever. The sky outside reminds me of that starry night in the Owlery. I can't stop thinking about you. You're the only person who has ever made me feel complete. I love you and always will. I wanted to tell you this, because my scar is hurting and I know evil is around. I don't know whether I will see you soon enough to ask you in person, but, Hermione, will you marry me? I don't want an owl back because I want you to tell me in person. I can't wait until I see you on the Hogwarts Express.

Love always,

Harry.

            A diamond ring fell out of the envelope. She picked up the ring with trembling fingers and put it on her hand. She held her hands to her chest as she was wracked with sobs. "Yes, Harry. I will, " she said quietly. She suddenly felt angered and turned her face to the ceiling. "HARRY! CAN YOU HEAR ME? I WANT TO BE YOURS! WHY CAN'T YOU BE HERE WITH ME?" Her voice cracked and she screamed, throwing Dumbledore's book across the room in a fit of rage. She collapsed to her knees and felt herself break into pieces.

~*~

Hermione cried even harder, the waves of sadness overwhelming her with every breath. It didn't seem fair to be getting ready for graduation, for life, without him. She looked at her ring through blurred eyes. She knew she would never love another man. In his honor, she would become an Auror, bent on revenge and wanting to hunt Lucius Malfoy down and let all the rage she felt unleash onto him. She rocked back and forth, hugging her knees. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't hear the knock at the door. 

"Hermione?" Ron said quietly, letting himself in. At the sight of Hermione on the floor like that, his heart broke like it did when he saw her at the Burrow for the first time since Harry's death. Ron knelt down and hugged Hermione. "Hermione. You have to get on with your life."

"That's easy for you to say," she spat, "you're happy with Parvati. Parvati wasn't killed."

"But I know how you feel."

"Bullshit! Ronald Weasley, you couldn't possibly know what it was like."

"Hey!" Ron shouted, "he was my friend too. I've lost my fair share of people too. Now get up. If Harry saw you like this, he'd be ashamed. He'd say, 'A kickass witch like you falling to pieces!'"

Hermione picked herself off the floor and put the graduation robe on over her dress. She still felt rattled, and she jumped at the touch of Ron's hand on her shoulder. "Herm, I know you'll always love him, but you have to let him go."

"I know," she said quietly. I always will, she said to herself. She again looked at the ring on her finger. Diamonds are forever. And our love will be too. She again looked at the Quidditch field, and she could have sworn she saw Harry fly by, winking. 

The End

A/N

Hi. My first angst fic with Harry and Hermione. It was heart-wrenching to write. I'm much more of a fluffy H/H shipper, but I felt this story bursting to get out. Read and Review if you want. Check out my other fics too. ^_^

Sarah -- sarahstar521@hotmail.com


	2. The Package

Diamonds are Forever

Chapter 2

The Package

[ Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Period.]

As Hermione walked in, supported from behind by Ron (both in spirit and body), she involuntarily scanned the seats for Harry. Next to Parvati Patil was an empty seat.  Immediately, it felt like a weight was pressing on her chest as she realized who was supposed to sit there. She automatically felt tears sting her eyes and she put her hand in the pocket of her robe to feel the small package sitting there. _Well, Harry, she said quietly, _it's___ graduation. After almost two years of waiting, she would be able to open Harry's last gift to her. In her other pocket, Hermione felt the parchment with her valedictorian speech on it. Smiling sadly, she remembered another Harry moment._

~*~

            Hermione leaned over her Arithmancy Honors textbook and bit her lip as she tried to decipher what her homework assignment was asking her to do. She felt two arms embrace her from behind and she jumped two feet in the air. "What the bloody hell?"

            She whirled around and came face to face with a beautiful pair of emerald eyes. "Hi, 'Mione," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her. She let his lips touch hers gently. She relished in the feeling of being loved. Harry broke the kiss and looked at her warmly. "Why are you worrying your pretty little head on all this work? We all know you're valedictorian and no one is gonna beat you between now and the end of seventh year." He smiled and tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear. He smiled mischievously. "Why don't you write your valedictorian speech now and get it over with?"

            Hermione stuck out her tongue at him and swatted him with her quill. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Mr. Potter. Who knows? My grades might take a nosedive from now to then." They looked at each other a moment and then burst out laughing. Hermione giggled one last time and relented, "Okay, Mr. Harry James Potter. I'll do it. But you're not gonna leave til it's done."

            "Fine," Harry said with a grin. He swung his legs over the side of the armchair next to hers. Hermione set aside her remaining homework, only with a little trepidation. She took out a new piece of parchment. She began, reading each word she wrote out loud. "Faculty, family, friends, and fellow Hogwarts students…"

            Hermione had finished it and left it on the table as she went to get another book for her Potions assignment. When she returned, the parchment was folded neatly and Harry had taped it together.  "What did you do to the speech, Harry?"

            Harry looked at her innocently. "Oh, another surprise for you to open on graduation."

            Hermione groaned. "ANOTHER surprise! God, they're getting annoying. If you keep giving me suprises, I'm gonna have a lot to open."

            Harry smiled. "When you make your speech, you'll get it." Hermione shook her head, smiling.

~*~

Hermione sat stoically in her chair, wedged between _Gosling, Lina_ and _Green, Michael,_ both Ravenclaws. Dumbledore had just led them all in the school song and was ready to introduce her in order for her to do her speech. Dumbledore boomed, "And now, for your valedictorian, Hermione Granger."

Hermione walked up to the magic podium and opened the tape on the speech. A small note was folded inside. She opened it discreetly and saw Harry's handwriting. 

_Dearest Hermione,_

_If you're reading this, then it's graduation and you're valedictorian. I told you your grades wouldn't slip. Haha. Well, before you start boring all of us with your mindless prattle, open the package I gave you in Year Six._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione could feel all the eyes in the auditorium staring at her. She cleared her throat and started explaining:

"Um…hello everyone. Because you all are sitting there wondering if I'm a little git, I'm going to explain something to you. Last year, I lost a good friend of mine. More than a good friend. I knew even there he was the love of my life. He told me, jokingly, to write a valedictorian speech. I have it here. But I know think, that with all that's happened, it's inappropriate. I had talked about ends. Months after this speech was written, Harry Potter met his end. I felt as if my life itself had ended. I didn't see any way to go on living. Eventually, however, I realized that from every end, there is a beginning. So my speech is not going to be a cliché-filled piece of crap about life and the end of school. I'm going to talk to you about beginnings." Hermione held up the package Harry had given her the year before and took a deep breath. "Harry gave me this package at the beginning of our relationship. I wasn't allowed to open it til now. So on this day of beginnings and endings, I'm going to open a present, the last one from my love."

Her hands shook as she opened it. She opened the cardboard and saw a jewelry box. She opened the velvet covered parcel and saw a pink-tinged stone as big as her thumb hanging from a thin chain. She saw a note underneath, unaware, she read this note to the crowd. 

_Dear Hermi,_

_This diamond is spelled. My father gave it to my mother the day they graduated. The wearer of this stone sees the person she loves most in it. It reveals, when you say "Loverus Discoverus" the whereabouts of your lover. It will work no matter where I am. It also tells me where you are. So, love, put it on so I can always know where you are._

_Love you forever,_

_Harry_

            _Another diamond!  Hermione thought. She put it on and whispered, "_Loverus___ Discoverus." In the middle of the stone appeared Harry's face! "But how can this be? He's been dead for more than a year!" That's the last thing she remembered thinking before she fainted._

To be Continued…

**_A/N_**

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**_Hi everyone! I debated on continuing the story. So now we all know what's in the package. Is Harry really alive? I might not tell you that! ^_~ You're gonna havta wait to read more! Thank you to my first three reviewers! *hugs*_**

****

**_And yes, I know the incantation is dorky. ^_^;;_**

****

**_Bye for now!_**

****

**_--Sarah (sarahstar521@hotmail.com)_**


	3. The Reunion

Diamonds are Forever

Chapter 3

The Reunion 

[ Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Period.]

           Hermione opened her eyes. Her mind reeled as she searched her surroundings to find out where in Merlin's name she was. Her mind whirred into action and she confirmed the pieces of information it was sending her. It told her that she was on her side, facing the door, in the Hospital Wing. Good. At least she knew where she was. The young witch wracked her brain to figure out why she was there. All of a sudden, the memory of what had happened hit her like a freight train. _Graduation. The speech. The diamond. Harry. Hermione jolted up in bed, hand to her chest, feeling as if her heart was breaking all over again. Reaching to finger-comb her hair, her hand trailed up her body. Her hand bumped an object when she reached the hollow of her neck. __The necklace. That goddamn necklace._

           Her hands pulled at the necklace, as her mind willed it to break so she could dispose of the item of clothing that had given her such a fright. Her eyes closed with the effort. A hand grasped the two of hers and a low voice gently spoke, "You don't want to break the present I got you, now do you?"

            _That voice! No, it couldn't possibly be._ Hermione's eyes sprang open and met with a pair of brilliant green. _What the…?_ "Harry?"

            "Yep." Harry hardly had time to utter the one syllable before Hermione flung her arms around his neck, crying so hard her entire body shook. She buried her head into his shoulder. He pat her back, his other arm winding around her waist to hug her. "Shhh. Hermione. It's just me."

            Hermione's muffled voice remarked tearfully, "'Just you.' You'd figure that with that reply, that you just came back from a fishing trip."

            "Now, 'Mione. That's silly. I don't even _like_ fish." He grinned as her head came up off his shoulder to face him, half smiling and half ready to kill him.

            Hermione settled on slightly pissed. "Arsehole." Harry laughed and Hermione felt all the pain and sadness lift off her shoulders. She was still a little angry. "Harry, where the heck WERE you? You had me devastated. It was the worst year in my life and I spent it missing you. Not to mention poor Ron and the other Weasleys. Ginny cried for days." 

            "They knew I was safe. I was at Sirius' place"

            "WHAT?! And no one bothered to tell me that you were safe at Sirius' house? What am I? Chopped liver?" Hermione was yelling now. She wore a look of utmost hurt. Harry sighed. This reunion wasn't happening as well as he expected. He went to hold her hand, but she pulled it away. He tried again and grasped it. She fought to make him let go.

            "Hermione. Calm down."

            "CALM DOWN?! YOU'RE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN? AFTER A HELLISH YEAR AT HOGWARTS MOURNING, THE BOY I'M IN LOVE WITH SUDDENLY APPEARS FROM THE DEAD AND IS…sitting on my bed." The realization dawned on her. She stopped yelling, but still looked at Harry, arms crossed.

            Harry hugged her to himself. "Hermione. Lucius Malfoy didn't kill me. I killed him. I bear the scars of that night here…" He pointed to his legs. "And here." He brought his hand to his heart. He continued, "However, because of our idiotic _former Minister of Magic, I had to go undercover. Malfoy had him around his pinkie. The two of them were cocktail buddies. Believe it or not." He smiled, letting her go. She didn't smile, still shocked by the fact he was there._

He stopped smiling and finished the story. "Regardless that I just killed a known Death Eater, Mr. Fudge put a price on my head. Luckily for me, just last week, Fudge was killed himself." He saw the look of horror on her face. "Chill, Hermione. I didn't kill him. Although I certainly wanted to.  Voldemort did. Turns out our Minister of Magic was a Death Eater. In Fudge's place went his cronies. They were also in league with Tom Riddle. Anyway, when Mr. Weasley finally became Minister, Mr. Weasley pardoned me."

            "Harry, V-voldemort was still around when you disappeared. He was found dead in the middle of seventh year. Why couldn't you return then?"

            "I killed him, Hermione. Regardless on what Fudge had on me for Lucius, when Voldemort appeared on the grounds of Hogwarts, I didn't hesitate on killing him. You see, Voldemort believed me dead." At her look of skepticism, he explained. "As many powers as he had, he was still human. Snape's Occulmency lessons came in handy and I blocked him from my thoughts permanently. To make him believe I was killed, I faked my own death by slashing myself with my own magic across my legs. I cried out and pretended I was dying. At the "moment of death", I shut off my thoughts to him with a spell Snape and I made in secret. As smart as the Dark Lord was, he never knew that Snape, Dumbledore, and I had it planned. We tricked him, Hermione." A smile of complete bliss entered his features.

            Hermione sat silently, jaw so low it looked as if she was cleaning the floor with it. "So, Harry, you stayed in hiding at Sirius's. How did you make it to Hogwarts?"

            "During the school year, I stayed around, living in the Forbidden Forest. I found Voldie there and the next two words out of my mouth were _Avada Kevadra_. His defenses were totally down. It amazes me that those two words did in 10 seconds what we had tried to do for several years. Killing Tom Riddle worsened the price on my head. Fudge knew I was alive and did nothing to discourage what the _Prophet _said. He figured that if he let the people believe that their hero was dead, then he would have free reign. The Weasleys found out from Dumbledore the day I killed Tom. In fact, they found out _as_ Dumbledore told them. I came out from under my Invisibility Cloak and scared the Bejesus out of George. He hasn't let me forget it either." Harry chuckled.

            Hermione frowned deeper. "One last question. Why didn't you tell _me_?"

            Harry sighed. "The fewer people the better. Knowing you, we would have been married the second I revealed myself to you. Also, Fudge was keeping an eye on you. Literally. He had your moves monitored and watched all your visitors. The minute I showed my face to you, I'd be off on a jolly old trip to Azkaban. He didn't bug Ron because he figured Ron would tell Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley would tell Fudge. Idiot. Mr. Weasley was tortured to find out if he knew. God save him, he didn't buckle. As it was, Ron was not allowed to tell you either. It hurt him and he still feels guilty. I couldn't tell you until today because as of noon today, a new Ministry has started. As of today, we in the wizarding world start anew."

            "A fine actor that Ron is. Comforting me over you and fully knowing that you were going to make your appearance." 

            "A fine actress _you are, pretending to still be mad at me."_

            Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry wiped the tears from her cheeks. She laughed, smiling for the first time in a year.  With all her might, she tackled him to the bed. "Harry James Potter. You do that to me again and I swear to God, I'll kill you myself."

            Harry smiled and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. Hermione put hers behind his neck. She lowered her face to his and they kissed, making up for lost time. His hand traveled lower as his head kissed the hollow of her neck. She tilted her head back. 

            "Ahem." A stern voice cleared her throat from the doorway. Without looking, they both knew it was Minerva McGonagall. The professor looked at them, arms across her chest. Minerva tried to hide the smile and the tears brimming in her eyes. She cleared her throat and tried to sound like the normal Mc Gonagall everyone knew and loathed. "Mr. Potter. Miss Granger. If I still had authority over you, I'd deduct fifty house points each. Seeing as you both graduated Hogwarts…" She smiled. "I have no disciplinary powers over you. I _do _request that the two of you join the rest of your graduating class in the Great Hall."

            Hermione got off Harry and the two of them blushed slightly. They fixed each other's clothing and hair. Harry took her hand and touched the stone in the ring on her finger. "You still have this, Hermione?" he asked. 

            "Of course. It's a diamond that represented our love. Diamonds mean forever. When I promised you I'd love you forever, I meant it."

            They smiled at each other and Harry offered the crook of his arm. Hermione laced her arm through his and they set off for the Great Hall. As they left the doorway, following Professor McGonagall, Harry kissed her cheek and whispered. "I love you, my diamond. From now until forever."

**The End**

**_A/N_**

**_Amazingly, I am back!_**

**_When I get horrid writers block, I sometimes neglect a story for a long time until I get a brainstorm. Here is that brainstorm. ^_^_**

**_Those of you who still remember me, enjoy. Thank you for reading. And thank you for the comments. 3_**

**_H/Hr forever._**

**_--Sarah (sarahstar521@hotmail.com)_**


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